General Chemistry: Matter and Its Properties

These flashcards cover the foundational concepts of General Chemistry, including the definitions and examples of intensive, extensive, physical, and chemical properties of matter.

General Chemistry

A branch of science that deals with the composition, structure, properties, and changes of matter.

Physical property

A characteristic that can be measured and observed without changing the composition or identity of a substance.

Intensive properties

Properties that are not dependent on the amount of matter, but rather on the kind or quality of matter, such as density, color, and boiling point.

Extensive properties

Properties that depend on the amount or quantity of matter, such as mass, volume, length, and area.

Chemical Property

Characteristics that result in a change in the composition of a substance, producing a new substance.

Color

A physical property that describes the appearance of a substance, such as a red apple.

Texture

A physical property describing how a substance feels, such as smooth, hard, or rough.

Mass

The total quantity of matter present in an object, often measured in units like grams ($g$).

Volume

The measure of the amount of space occupied by an object, involving three-dimensional units that have been cubed.

Volume of a Cube (Formula)

$$V = \text{side} \times \text{side} \times \text{side}$$

Volume of a Rectangular Solid (Formula)

$$V = \text{length} \times \text{width} \times \text{height}$$

Volume of a Cylinder (Formula)

V = \text{\pi} r^{2} h

Volume of a Sphere (Formula)

V = \frac{4}{3} \text{\pi} r^{3}

Electrical Conductivity

A measure of how well electric currents move through a substance.

Thermal Conductivity

The rate at which a substance transfers heat from a higher temperature region to a lower temperature region.

Density

The measure of the amount of mass in a given amount of volume, calculated using the formula $D = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}}$.

Solubility

The ability of a substance to dissolve in another substance, such as coffee granules dissolving in water.

Malleability

The ability of a substance to be rolled or pounded into various shapes, common in metals like aluminum, gold, and iron.

Magnetic attraction

A physical property observed when a metal attracts another metal.

Flammability

A chemical property describing the ability of a substance, such as wood or paper, to burn.

Reactivity

The ability of a substance to interact with another substance and form one or more new substances, such as iron reacting with oxygen to form rust.

Iron (III) oxide

The chemical name for rust, represented by the formula $Fe_{2}O_{3}$, formed when iron reacts with oxygen in moist air.

Photosynthesis

A chemical change where plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to form a new energy-rich compound called glucose and release oxygen.

Dissolving Sugar in Water

A physical change where sugar disappears in water but no new substance is made; the sugar can be recovered by evaporating the water.

Souring of Milk

A chemical change where milk proteins change due to bacterial activity, forming curd and releasing a sour smell.

Tearing Paper

A physical change where the size and shape move, but the identity remains paper.

Explosion of Fireworks

A chemical change where chemicals react rapidly to produce gas, light, and sound, indicating the formation of new substances.

Stretching a Rubber Band

A physical change characterized by a change in shape or appearance without changing the identity of the substance.